Cleaning-material feeder for washing machines



\ 1,640,319 1927' N. w. HALSEY CLEANING MATERIAL FEEDER FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Feb. 19. 1924 1 9A ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN W. HALSEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SOAP FEEDER CORPORA- TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CLEANING-MATERIAL FEEDER FOR WASHING MACHINES.

' Application filed February 1'9, 1924. SeiiaLNO. 693,791.

,/This invention relates to improvements in cleaning-material feeder for washing machines, and is an improvement upon my copending application Serial No. 606,770,

5 filed December 14th, 1922.

My said co-pending application discloses a slow-feed device operable by aportion of the water distributed or sprayed by the spraying nozzles to automatically charge accor-dingly as the work progresses the wash 'water with a predetermined amount of cleaning material, in order to compensate for the loss of cleaning strength of previously charged wash water, and thus to keep 15 such water at the most eflicient cleaning strength and thus avoiding the guessing and waste incident to manual feeding of cleaning material. With said device, it is necessary when starting in the morning with clear or completely renewed water in the tank to initially charge such tank water with cleaning material.

The object of my present invention is to provide automatic uick-feeding means for immediately and quickly, at the start, feeding an initial supply of cleaning material of sufficient strength to charge the tank or wash water with cleaning material of an efficient strength and automatic slow-feeding means for slowly and as the work progresses charging the wash water to compensate for the loss of strength due to the work performed and keep the initially charged water at efficient strength, thus avoiding waste and guessing in the initial chargingo'oeration as well as in the compensating charging.

Another object of my invention is to produce a device which will embody said automatic quick feeding means and the automatic slow-feeding means in a single compact eflicient unit.

Another object of my invention is to pro duce a device which will equire but a single filling and which when filled with cleaning material and placed in position beneath water sprayed from the nozzles will thereupon function to initially charge the clear tank water and will furthermore continue durin the progress of the work to compeninvention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to co-act and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its v adaptations the species or referred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. lis a cross-section of a cleaning machine of the spray type embodying my auto- 1 matic tank water charger and slow-feed compensating device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the feeding device shown in Fig 1, the section being taken substantially on the line 2--2 of F ig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the cover removed; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-section on the line-4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig.5 is a View in plan of the bottom of my improved feeding container.

Referring now to these drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, l'indicates the outer casing of a dish-washing machine of the spray type which is provided at its lower end with a wash tank 2, above which is supported a strainer 3 and a dish-rack 4, in which rack dishes are suitably stacked for washing.

Within the casing 1 is provided an up- 10 right supply pipe 5 which is provided with the usual laterally extending arms 55 on both of which are revolvably mounted upper and lower wash nozzles 66 respectively, which nozzles are designed to spray water on, against and between dishes P in the rack 4. This sprayed water finally falls, down through the strainer pan 3 and into the tank 2, after which such water is pumped by pumps 7 upwardly through the pipe'5 and nozzles 6 so as to form a continuous circulation and dlstrlbutlon or spraying 1n contact with the dishes of such Wash water.

After washing of the dishes by such pumped wash water the dishes are usually sprayed by rinsing nozzles 8. rinsing water to the wash water in the tank maintains the wash water in the tank at the proper level and conditions for use-the sur- 10 plus water and grease passing out of the tank through the overflow pipe 2*.

The foregoing is a description of one form of washing machine of the spray type and standing by itself alone constitutes no part of my invention, which consists, however, in providing a machine of this type with an automatic double feeder 9 adapted to feed varyingquantities for different requirements and having quick-feeding means for initially charging the tank-water and slow-feeding means for progressively feeding such material, and this device preferably utilizes a pose of keeping the wash water at the proper cleaning strength by compensating for that portion of the material passed out or utilized in the work of cleaning dishes accomplished by the wash water.

In the preferred embodiment of my in vention, my automatic @uble feeder feeds powdered cleaning material and comprises a unit preferably independent of the other parts of the machine which is portable and may be inserted or supported in place within the area of distributionor spraying of water by the spraying nozzles and, as shown, is mounted on the strainer pan 3 of the machine. My double feeder preferabl consists of a cylindrical container lO whic is preferably formed of non-corrosive metal and is divided into quick-feed and slow-feed compartments. Thus a series of three relatively small quick-feed compartments 11 are provided within the container, and these quickfeed compartments are preferably arranged adjacent to the cylindrical wall thereof, while the balance of the container provides or constitutes a slow-feed compartment 12. Each of the quick-feed compartments has quick delivery or release means and each referably communicates at its lower end y means of relatively large discharge apertures 13 with an annular water-collecting The addition of the aeeaeie channel member or gutter 1%, within and b which a sufficient amount of the spraye water is collected to almost immediately dissolve the contents of the quick-feed compartments. The powdered cleaning material in such quick-feed compartments is, immediately upon the starting of the machine and the spraying of water thereby, thus dissolved and added to the water in the tank for thev purpose of charging such tank water initial- 1 to a proper' efiicient cleaning strength, the size and capacity of these quick feed compartments being in proper proportion to the size of the tank or to the body of clear water usually carried thereby.

In the embodiment shown in these drawautomatically fed to the wash water with 3 an extremedegree of slowness and lasts all day or during the entire running period of the machine. In order to provide means for feeding the same in this-slow manner the cover 16 is provided with a water-shedding surface 17 having a relatively small centrally disposed aperture 18 s0 as to allow but a very small amountof water into the slow-feed compartment 12 at one time. When the water is fed through "these small apertures it falls upon the cleaning material within the compartment and a solution is formed therewith which passes to the bottom of the container and through apertures 19 in the bottom of said compartment, the action of this latter compartment being substantially similar to that described in my former application.

Havin described m invention, I claim 1. A c eaning materlal feeder for washing machines adapted to operate within a stream or shower of water, comprising a container having water shedding. walls for confining powdered soluble cleaning material, said container comprising means for feeding a portion of the water from the stream to the powdered cleaning material therein to form a solution therewith, and means for discharging a relatively small continuing charge of the solution intothe stream, said feeder also comprisin' means for discharging a relatively large initial charge of cleaning material into said stream.

2. A cleaning material feeder for-washing machines adapted to operate within a stream or shower of water, comprising a plurality of compartments for confining a solid soluble cleanlng material, means for feeding a portionof the water from said stream to one of said compartments to form-a solution with .solut-ion with the material therein,

the material therein, means for feeding a relatively large initial charge of solution therefrom into the stream, means for feeding a portion of the water from said stream to another one of said compartments to form a and means for feedin a relatively small continuing charge of solution therefrom into the stream.

3. A cleaning material feeder for washing machines adapted to operate within a stream or shower of water, comprising a container having water shedding Walls for confining powdered soluble cleaning material said con tainer having a compartment for feeding a relatively large initial charge of cleaning material into the stream of water and also having a compartment for feeding a rela tively small continuing charge of cleaning materialiinto the stream of water, said firstmentioned compartment having means asfor confining a solid soluble material, said container having walls adapted to shed the major portion of the Water impinging thereagainst and provided with separated compartments, said container being provided with apertures for feeding water to each of said compartments and passing solution therefrom, and a gutter on said container adjaoent certain of said feeding apertures for collecting and feeding water to one of said an upwardly convex cover for said container having a small aperture near its crown for feeding a relatively small portion of the water impinging upon said cover to the central compartment, an annular gutter surrounding the side walls of the container for collecting the Water flowing from said cover, said side walls of the container being provided With apertures for feeding large amounts of the water from the utter into said marginal compartments, an a bottom for said container having apertures adapted to pass solution from the various compartments but to retain the solid material.

6. A cleaning material feeder for washing machines adapted to operate within a stream or shower of water, comprising a covered container for confininga solid soluble material, said container having water shedding walls, an annular gutter about the side walls of said container, said-side walls having apertures adjacent the gutter for feeding water collected in the gutter into the container to form a solution with the material, the bottom of said container havin apertures for passing. solution while retalning the solid material, and said gutter also having aperturesfor passing solution.

In witness whereof, I have slgned my name to the foregoing specification.

NORMAN W. HALSEY. 

